Wetland Tour in Qukin ʔamakʔis

By Jamie Smithson, Project Officer

Kiʔsuk kyukyit,

Teck Coal recently informed the Ktunaxa Nation Council about an upcoming project with Ducks Unlimited.

The project looks to restore and offset selected wetlands in Qukin ʔamakʔis (Raven’s Land – also known as the Elk Valley).

KNC staff were invited to attend a field trip looking at some potential candidate wetlands and to discuss options for enhancement — and the turnout was a promising start.

Attending the tour was Jason Gravelle from Yaq̓it ʔa·knuqⱡi’it and from the KNC were Kristen Whitehead, Cisco Jimmy, Lance Thomas, Jaydon Francis, our new Biodiversity and Reclamation Specialist — Demi Gagnon, and myself (the other Jamie in Lands).

We started our day equipped with some good, dry hiking boots and a thermos of coffee near Jaffray.

The first wetland we visited looked like a stereotypical wetland, and was very productive and full of biodiversity. Evidence of past sina (beaver) activity and the abundance of ʔumk̓uǂ (pond-lily) showed it was a stable wetland. Our arrival sent a startled waq̓a (great blue heron) to flight. Red-wing blackbirds called and darted from reed to reed, while a pair of nesting trumpeter swans lazed around.

(Above) A productive wetland. This wetland was very much alive and well.

(Above) Lake-like wetland.

The second wetland we visited resembled a small lake and was home to some kaxax (painted turtle) and could also be suitable habitat for nuqǂuki·n (loon). Some of us were lucky enough to see fish in the lake — sadly, I was not one of those lucky ones.

(Above) Overgrown wetland

The last wetland we visited in the Jaffray area was overgrown by tanaǂ (bulrush) and likely dries up in the summer. Though still used by some species, like red-winged blackbird, there were less options for restoration/enhancement for this wetland type.

(Above) Wetland along Michel Creek Floodplain

We loaded back into the trucks and headed over to the Corbin Road near Sparwood. The wetland was located behind an embankment on the Michel Creek floodplain. This wetland type is sometimes used by fish like longnose suckers and juvenile trout, if and when there is a connection to the river. This specific wetland had lots of ongoing sina activity.

(Above) Group at the edge of Michel Creek

Our last stop was a grassy field on the side of the Corbin Road. There was no sign of an existing wetland, but this site has the potential for constructing a wetland through excavation to the shallow groundwater.

This fieldtrip was only the first step in what will be a lengthy project. Future site visits and more desktop work are needed to widdle down the candidate list. After sites are selected, specific plans can be drawn up. All in all, it was a great day out of the office and back on the land — and I didn’t even get my feet wet.